Most of us are familiar with the general symptoms of novel COVID-19 that include fever, shortness of breath, fatigue, besides loss of smell or taste but the impact of the infection, in some individuals, doesn’t end with flu-like symptoms as recent studies show that the men, who got recovered, experienced erectile dysfunction and ended up getting penile implants.
Medical experts and virologists suspect links between the inability to get and keep an erection in post Covid recovery while some publications quoting studies claimed that growing numbers of men afflicted by the virus are complaining about the erection trouble.
Erectile dysfunction generally occurred due to limited blood flow to the genitals or due to nerves damage however, stress or some emotional reasons also affect the erection.
As different countries are experiencing mutated variants of the deadly disease, the mutated variants also caused different symptoms. The SARS-CoV-2 causes inflammation in various parts of the body and is also known to affect the inner linings of blood vessels, which caused disruption to the blood supply and vascular effects.
A study of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine published in the World Journal of Men’s Health show two men, who recovered from a novel virus, ended up getting surgeries to treat the embarrassing medical condition. The study also revealed that the virus was present in the penile tissue months after the individuals contract the virus.
In two of the cases, one man was admitted to a medical facility for two weeks while the other has a mild infection although he had a history of coronary artery disease. Researchers find that both individuals had ‘normal erectile function’ before getting infected with COVID-19.
The director of the Reproductive Urology Program at Miami University also analyzed the autopsy tissues of the testicles of six men who contracted the disease.
The virus appeared in the tissues of one of the men while it decreased numbers of sperm appeared in three. Another patient who survived had a testis biopsy after three months, which showed the virus presence in testicles.
The health experts, despite having limited individuals for study, believed that the infection may have restricted blood supply to the genitals, leading to severe erectile dysfunction. Besides having the inability to keep an erection firm enough, the novel virus can cause excessive or unusual clotting in the body, which can lead to serious complications such as strokes, heart failure, pulmonary embolisms, and many others.
The above-mentioned findings are not entirely surprising as scientists know that other viruses also invade the testicles and affect sperm production and fertility.
Meanwhile, the pandemic also triggered psychological effects on men as clinical sexologists have been seeing more cases of erectile dysfunction since the start of the ongoing pandemic, per reports. It was reportedly due to the inactive lifestyle alongside high-stress levels that affect sexual function. Meanwhile, men who are less active develop heart problems, which can reduce their ability to pump blood to the genitals.
Furthermore, adrenaline, a hormone that is involved in regulating visceral functions, associated with the body’s stress response can also affect blood flow to the penis. People who are stressed or having depression-related symptoms have a higher risk of developing this medical condition.
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